Liquid control valve



g 23 INVENTOR.

Dec. 12, 1944. PERRY 2,365,105

LIQUID CONTROL VALVE Filed NOV. 15, 1943 Patented Dec. 12, 1944 UNITED STATESE PATENT OFFICE LIQUID CONTROL VALVE Landis H. Petra: Glendale, Calif.

Application November 15, 1943, Serial No. 510,339

16 Claims.

This invention relates to a liquid control valve.

, The valve provided by this invention is particularly well adapted to control the flow of liquid fuel between two fuel supply tanks or from a fuel supply tank to a motor which derives its energy from the fuel fed to it from said tank.

This valve is particularly well adapted for use upon aircraft and may readily be installed in place of valves of a less satisfactory type now in use in such situations.

Among the objects of the invention are: to reduce operating friction; to provide a valve having an operating arm which can be manipulated with the expenditure of less power and in a quicker, more satisfactory and certain manner; to provide the valve with a plurality of valve seats which can be so used as to divide the wear between them,

thereby lengthening the time that the device can be used without being repaired; to provide for manufacture at a lower cost and out of a lighter having a less number of parts and of a more simple kind than would ordinarily be required in a valve capable of operating in an equally advantageous manner. M

An important specific object of the invention is to provide an improved operating rod or arm whereby the valve proper is releasably locked either in an open or in a closed position.

Also it is an important object to provide, for a swingable valve operating rod an improved ball seat member, through which the rod passes in a leak-proof manner to the valv chamber and whereby saidball is permitted to have a universal movement and yet a leak-proof seal is provided therearound.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates what is at present deemed to be a preferred embodiment of the invention, v

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device with the valve operating arm in the intermediate or neutral position, the upper part of said arm being broken away in order to contract the view.

Fig. 2 is a vertical, longitudinal midsection of the device.

. Fig. 3 is a transverse midsection thereof.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the upper wall of the valve chamber, the valve operating rod being shown in section in neutral position.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the valve body or casing 5 may be a cube but is shown as a cuboid having a length which is somewhat greater than its transverse dimensions. Said body 5 is preferably molded outof a plastic substance, the mold being shaped to form a valve chamber 6, a passage 1 communicating with one end of said body and a passage 8 with its opposite end, said passages respectively having threaded end portions la and 8a into which suitable conduit fittings may be screwed. The valve chamber 6 is preferably rectangular in horizontal section and its lower end has an enlarged circular mouth provided with screw threads 9 to hold in place a ciorcular cap or cover plate In having wrench seats Within the valve chamber 6 is a globular, preferably elastic, valve II which is carried by the lower end of the swingable valve operating rod l2, there being valve seats l3 and M for said valve located respectively at the junctures of the passages I and 8 with the chamber 6.

In an upwardly spaced relation to the valve 1 I the rod l2 passes diametrically through and has fixed to it a bearing ball 15, preferably of hard rubber, a circular recess being formed in the upper side portion of the body 5, said recess having an annular bottom portion l1 extending around the upper side of a concavity l8, said concavity being contoured to engage the bearing ball l5 with a working, leak-proof fit. The recess for the bearing ball l5 has a screwthreaded mouth portion H! which has screwed into it an annular cap or nut 20, a part of the lower portion of which forms an annular shoulder 2| which is concave or arcuate across its width to conform to the contour of the ball l5 which it engages with a working fit. Said cap 20 has a polygonal central opening" 22 to cooperate with a suitable wrench for screwingsaid cap down upon the ball I5 with sufficient firmness not only to make a leak-proof bearing surface above and below said ball, but at the same time to apply to said ball enough pressure to aid in maintaining it in adjusted positions.

Between the valve chamber 6 and the recess which contains the bearing ball l5, the body 5 is furnished with a generally arcuate passage or chamber 23 the length of which is sufficient to provide for swinging the rod I2 the distance required for its operation. The width of this arouate passage 23 is such as to provide a working clearance within it for said rod 12. At three places said passage has in One of its sides a preferably concave groove which extends across the entire width of the passage. As seen in Figs. 2 and 4 one of these grooves 25 is located in the left part of th passage 23, another groove 26 is located at the center thereof, and a third groove 21, is located in the right part of said passage. These three grooves are preferably all of the same ing out of consideration the aforesaidgroovedfl-,,

portions 25, 26 and 21 thereof, ispreferably of substantially the same width throughout its length and has parallel opposite side portions. The aforementioned grooves are each of such size and are also positioned and shaped that when the operatingrod I2 is seated in any given groove said rod extends in a vertical plane; hence when said rod'is seated in either of the end grooves 25 or Z'I itseats truly upon the valve seat I3 or I4 at that endof the valve chamber 6.

Also said rod extends vertically when it engages the central groove 25. Accordingly, as shownv in dotted lines in Fig. 3, the arcuate passage 23, intermediate .its grooved portions, is inclined when viewed in cross section, so that during its swinging movements the rod I2 moves along an inclined plane between. the aforesaid seat forming grooves. The width of'the ,ungrooved portion .of said passage' 2'3 is somewhat greater than .thediameterof thej circular rod, I2, so as to afford a free, unobstructed swinging movement thereof to bringit opposite to ,the groove into which, by an additional lateralmovement it is shiftedinto, foreiiample, one or the other of the end grooves to" bring the valve II into aseated r lation'to valve seat I 3 or I14. In other 'words, a's'the curvedsurfacefof the rod glides'intothe arcuate groove (25 or 21) the rod is, during the final part v'bf'it's "s'wirig deflected l'aterallyas it advances to the extent required to cause the' globiilar valve I I carried thereby. 'to fit truly upon the valve' sat at the instant .thatfsaid ro'd coinpletes it's swinging "movement, whereupon the groeve'willfcooperate with'ithe the to'm'aintain the, valve in it'sj'fseat'ed pee t enahu partly b'ecause'of the frictional engagement of'the nutfZB with the bearihg'ball 1| 5. The eehtrei h aven, for t eseme 'reasoh; jirfit'ainsthe pen valy j i a eeh rjai; hutraipbsitidhsothat liquid can then 'fiow 'throughith'e valve chamber in; either 'direction. ,fln 'addi tidn to the h'olding riine'tienot the nut 20 here isi'af definite holding er the rod HI 2 against being swung fin'the direction of the liquid flow 'when sai'drbdf'isin any of 'tlie'th'ree aforementioned rateran 'shiftet posit ons. Nevertheless when there" is only' a slow liquid ,flow' the frictional'contact oflthe bearing ball I5 'withits seat and b'aringlnut 'willsafely hold the'ball valve in ,its"'shiftedfpositions. Under the latter 'circumstance the walls of the channel 23 may be parallel andvertic'althroughout. Q

The' passages land 8, I together Withf'their respective valve "seats; 13' and u, are positioned with their-"axes in a vertical plane which passes throughfthe center of the ball b'earings member'I5, ahd, the'gi0oves 25,"26a1'1d' z'le'xtend r'adially'in relationtothe'center about which the bearingiball' ISjturns.

In assembling the various parts of the device the b n memberfi's, Whi'chhasthroughit a'uia- Y metrical bore, is'ffirstput into place upon thefr'o'd I 2, being cemented, or otherwise 'securedthereto in a fluidtight manner. 'Then said bearing ball is placed'uponfthe ,seatjIBfand while ther'od I2 is maintained in" an approximates vel i 0- siti'on the annular hut zols' slipped downwardly "is screwed in place.

suitable socket formed in it to receive the lower end portion of said rod, is placed over said rod end and is vulcanized thereto, this operation being easily performed owing to the spacious char- Lacter of said chamber and the free access to be had thereto before the bottom cover member III in place the valve is ready to have its screwthreaded portions Ia and 8a connected with the conduitswith which it is to cooperate. It will :be/seenthat the bodyflmember, 5 has a considerable bottom'siirface area aroundthe cover I0 into which I screws or other fastening's mayieicltend to attach the device to a support having 'a flat surface.

,Although the "titration of 5 the device will be readily understood from fthe foregoing] description, it remains. to be noted that; the operating arm IZneeds to be swung through, an arc of only about fifteen degrees to move'the'globular valve II across the space through which it travels. hlso, as soon asone of the valve seats becomes slightly worn the (position of the valverbody 5 may be reversed so as to cause the other valve seat to function. A, 7 N H This valve, when'inade of non-metallic'material, is more particularly intended for use in situations where only low liquidpressure is encountered; but it may be made of metaland then used where liquid flow supplied under heavy pressure is'to be controlled. I y it should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the subject matter claimed.

Whatis claimed is: l

l. A valve body or casing having a bearing recess in one of its side-'portions'and avalve 'cham berfspacedaway from said fec'ssythere being a generally arcuate passage leading from said recess to said chamber, a ball member having "a bearing insaid recess, a globular valve withi'n s'ai'd'valve chamber, and an operating rodgxte'nding through said bearing ball 'andpr'dj'ecting from each si'de thereof, one end portionof s'aid rodext'ending through said arcuate passage and havingfsald globular valve fixed to it, th'erebeingh liquid flow passage communicating with'each' of bpposite sides "or ends of's'aid valvechamber'and provided at its juncture with said chamber with a valve seat; for lsaid'globular valve, there being a groove e'xtending'across one side of'ea'ch eri'd portion of said arcuate passage into 'whichsaid rod is laterally shiftable at the limit of its swing inorder to seat said rod'in'anadjus'ted position wherein it maintains said globular valve "truly seated upon the valve s'eat'at thatside or en'd ofthe casing. e Y

The subject matter of'claim 1, and there being alsoajgr'oove leading across the midlength portion ofsaid jarcuate passage into which said rod is laterally -shifti able "to maintain the valve After said ball valve II has been secured tothe rod I2 and said cover I 0 put bearing recess being circular and having a bottom portion the central part of which is concave to seat said bearing ball, and a nut screwed into said recess, said nut having an internal, annular, arcuate shoulder which retains said bearing ball in its seated position.

4. The subject matter of claim 1, and said valve chamber having a circular mouth portion which opens out at one side of the casing, and a cover plate screwed into said mouth portion.

5. A cuboid valve body having a valve chamber therein provided with a mouth opening at one side of said body and having a plurality of liquid flow passages communicating with said chamber and from other sides of said body, there being a circular recess formed in the side of said body which is opposite the first said side, the bottom portion of said recess extending around the upper side of a concavity with its surrounding walls located in an outwardly spaced relation to said concavity, there being a passage connecting the lower side of said concavity with the upper side of said chamber, a ball having a bearing in said concavity, a globular valve in said valve chamber, an operating rod extending axially through said bearing ball and projecting from each side thereof, one end portion of said rod extending through said passage and being fixed to said globular valve, the other end portion of said operating rod being manually grippable to turn said bearing ball in different directions upon its seat in such a manner as to operate said globular valve to selectively open and close either of said liquid flow passages.

6. The subject matter of claim 5, and a plurality of seats formed in the wall of said passage in which to seat at least a part of that portion of said operating rod which extends between said bearing ball and said globular valve.

'7. The subject matter of claim 5, and a plurality of seats formed in the wall of said passage in which to seat at least a part of that portion of said operating rod which extends between said bearing ball and said globular valve, the side wall of said passage between adjacent seats being inclined with respect to the vertical plane of the path through which said valve travels in moving from one to another of its adjusted positions.

8. The subject matter of claim 5, and an apertured cap provided with an annular arcuate bezel screwed into said circular opening, said bezel being contoured to conform to the shape of said bearing ball against which it abuts with a frictional working fit.

rality of seats formed in the wall of said passage, said seats cooperating with a portion of said rod which extends between said bearing ball and said globular valve to maintain the latter valve in one of several adjustable positions.

11. A valve body having a valve chamber therein provided with a mouth opening at one side of said body and having a plurality of liquid flow passages communicating with said chamber from other sides of said body, a bearing recess in said body above said valve chamber, a ball member having a bearing in said bearing recess, said bearing recess being circular and having a bottom portion the central part of which is concave to seat said ball member with a working leak-proof fit, there being a passage connecting the lower side of said bearing recess with said valve chamber, an operating rod extending diametrically through said ball member and downwardly therefrom through said passage, a globular valve within said valve chamber carried by the lower end of said rod and thereby adjustable .to and from positions wherein it closes said passages, and means carried by said body in a cooperative relation to said rod to maintain the latter in adjusted positions wherein it causes said globular valve to close or open said passages.

12. The subject matter of claim 11 and, a centrally apertured nut screwed into said bearing recess, said nut having an internal, annular, arcuate shoulder surrounding said central aperture which retains said ball member in its seated position.

13. The subject matter of claim 11 and, said means comprising a plurality of seats formed in the wall of said passage.

14. The subject matter of claim 11 and, a cover plate screwed into said mouth.

15. The subject matter of claim 11 and, said globular valve being elasticl 16. A valve body having a valve chamber therein provided with a mouth opening at one side of said body and having a plurality of liquid flow passages communicating with said chamber from other sides of said body, a bearing recess in said body above said valve chamber, a ball member having a bearing in said recess, said bearing recess being circular and having a bottom portion the central part of which is concave to seat said ball member with a working leak-proof fit, there being a passage connecting the lower side of said bearing recess with said valve chamber, an operating rod extending diametrically through said ball member and downwardly therefrom through said passage, a globular valve within said valve chamber carried by the lower end of said rod and thereby adjustable to and from positions wherein it closes said passages, and a centrally apertured nut screwed into said bearing recess, said nut having an internal, annular, arcuate shoulder surrounding said central aperture which retains said ball member in its seated position adjustably.

LANDIS H. PERRY. 

